Help Me
by mai ei mai
Summary: [Complete] The well is sealed. Kagome is attacked in the future. Souta must save the day. [Sequel coming]
1. Chapter 1: The Attack

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 1: The Attack

_It's over; it's finally over_ thought Kagome as she emerged from the well. _Naraku has been destroyed, the jewel is complete. Now my life can be normal, well, closer to normal._ "Souta," she called, "Mama, Grandpa? Where is everybody?"

Kagome picked up her nearly empty bag and pushed open the well house door. "Kagome!" yelled Souta as he ran across the courtyard to his sister, "Kagome, what are you doing home? Did you and Inuyasha get into another fight?"

"No, you little brat, far from it" replied Kagome. "Oh, that reminds me." Souta watched as Kagome returned to the well and chanted under her breath. "What did you do?" he asked. "I sealed the well," answered Kagome proudly. "Kaede showed me how. Nobody can through the well either way until I unseal it. Now we can have some time to ourselves before Inuyasha drags me back to the village."

Kagome turned to return to her brother, but failed to notice the danger approaching her. Souta could only watch in terror as a shadow detached itself from the wall and reached out for his sister. "Souta, what's wrong?" she asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Kagome started to turn around, but something hit the back of her head. Souta running towards her was the last thing she saw before falling unconscious.

Souta tried to catch her, but only succeeded in falling to the ground with her. "Kagome," he called, "Kagome! Wake up, come on, Kagome."

Souta looked around, the shadow was gone and no one was around to help. _Mama would know what to do_.

"Mama," he yelled as he ran to the house, "Mama, Kagome's back and she's hurt. Something hit her in the well house."

His mother was in the kitchen making lunch, "Souta," she reprimanded, "No need to yell in the house. Now, what happened?" Mrs. Higurashi stood silently as Souta told his tale.

Her faced paled as he finished. "Call an ambulance" she said when he was done. "I am going to check on Kagome, she needs a hospital."

Souta did as he was told and then went back to see if his mother needed any help. When the ambulance arrived, Souta led the EMTs to Kagome. They strapped her to a bed and rode away lights blazing.

Mrs. Higurashi drove to the hospital with a silent brother and a confused grandfather in the car. They got to the hospital, and were told Kagome had been placed in a room.

Mrs. Higurashi spoke to the doctor while Souta held Kagome's hand. Grandpa was busy putting ofudas around the room.

"Mrs. Higurashi," the doctor said, "I know this is a difficult time for you and your family. I am afraid that whatever happened did not simply knock out you daughter. We can find no physical damage to her, but she is unresponsive."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Kagome is not simply unconscious, she is in a coma."

"How do we wake her up?"

"I'm afraid it is not that simple," replied the doctor, "we can only wait and hope she wakes up on her own. It could take days, months, even years to happen."


	2. Chapter 2: Jewel

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 2: Jewel

Two figures raced across the rooftops of Tokyo before stopping on top of an apartment building. Both were slim and carried themselves with the grace gained from experience of moving through shadows.

"Red," began the smaller figure, a female voice, "are you sure we should be doing this. The boss said to find the jewel, not to stake-out its location."

"Blue," replied the woman's partner, this time a male voice. "We have no idea where in the shrine the jewel is. Someone else could get the jewel before we knew it. The only way to prevent that is to keeping watching."

"But what if we are seen? You know Boss would have our heads, he specifically said to only find the jewel."

"Blue, you worry too much. Nobody will find out. When this is over, Boss will be pleased with how dedicated we were. And besides, don't you find it a little too convenient that the jewel is even in a shrine, let alone that shrine."

"You may be right, Red. The shrine prevents us from entering to get the jewel without a confrontation from its residents. Boss would never allow us to let that happen."

"So you agree with the whole watch in the shadows plan?"

"Yes, Red, it may not be the best plan, but it does work. I'll see you tomorrow night, and every night, until this blows up in our faces. But don't blame me when that happens."

* * *

Souta trudged through the noisy hallways, pointedly ignoring the cries of his fellow students. _It's been two weeks since Kagome's accident, two weeks without a single change in her condition. I wish she would come back, this is even worse than not knowing what was happening to her in the past. At least there she has her friends to help._

"Look out," someone called out a warning, but Souta was too absorbed in his thoughts to heed it. That is until he walked head first into an open door. He stumbled back a few steps before falling on the floor and letting out a surprised, "Huh, what just happened?" When nobody responded, he looked around the hallway to realize everyone was gone, and class was about to start. Souta gathered his fallen school supplies dashed to his classroom, making it in time to hear the bell as he sat down in his seat.

The door opened and in walked a beautiful young woman. "Hello, class," she began. "Your regular teacher is not well today, so I will be substituting. You may all call me Ms. Mika." Her blue eyes twinkled as she rummaged through the papers on the desk and held out the attendance sheet in triumph. "Now then, I will call your name and you will respond if present." After the attendance was completed Ms. Mika began the lesson.

The school day passed without incident, and Souta continued in his routine of visiting Kagome at the hospital after school. After finishing his homework in her room, Souta wandered around the hospital until his mother finished visiting and they went home for dinner.

After dinner, Souta walked around outside. He found himself staring at the well house. "Life was better before all this," he lamented. "Kagome was gone then too, but she always came back with great stories. Sometimes Inuyasha came too. She would always leave again, but her friends would keep her safe until she came back." Souta paused in his tirade to reach under a bush for a rock to throw at the well house. "Then that stupid shadow had to come and ruin everything." Another rock was thrown.

Exhausted from his breakdown, Souta sat next to bush to continue his ranting. "But now Kagome sealed the well; I can't go back, and her friends can't come here to see what is wrong." Souta reached for another rock, but his hand brushed something smooth.

Souta grabbed the unusual object and held it in the light. "It's Kagome's jewel. The power thing that the mask wanted." His eyes widened in surprise. "She must have dropped it when the shadow came. Kagome once said that it could grant wishes, I can wish for her to get well."

He jumped up and ran to the house to get his jacket. Souta ran past his mother and shouted, "Bye, Mom, going to visit Kagome. Be back later."

Souta struggled to keep a grip on the jewel while running and putting on his jacket. He bounded down the stairs and set off running towards the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3: Confrontation

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 3: Confrontation

Headlights of a passing car lit up a deserted alley. At least, it appeared deserted.

"Blue, for the last time, Boss does not know what we are doing. You agreed it was a good plan to watch the shrine. What happened?"

"I don't know, Red, maybe we are better off telling Boss before he finds out we went behind his back. He won't be happy if he finds out."

"Keyword is 'if', Blue. That won't happen."

Both figures stiffened in alarm.

"Red, do you feel that. The jewel is not at the shrine any longer. It's moving towards us."

"Do you think another group managed to steal it?"

"I don't know, Red, but we should find out. Whoever has it will be here soon, and we should get the jewel. It is no longer protected by the shrine family."

"I agree, Blue. I will confront them, you wait in the rear to cut them off from reinforcements."

* * *

_This is great_ thought Souta. _Now, Kagome will get better and everything will go back to normal_. Souta's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a shadow emerging from an alley.

"Now what do we have here, a human managed to steal the jewel?" The shadow stepped forward into the light of an overhead street lamp. "Give me the jewel, boy, and I will not be forced to kill you. Your choice."

Souta simply glared at his attacker. The man had bright red hair pulled back in a low ponytail. His black clothes were loose and allowed for movement. But Souta's gaze was caught by the man's red eyes and pointed ears.

The man seemed uneasy with Souta's silence, so he tried again. "Kid, give me the jewel or I will kill you."

Souta finally gathered his wits and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"I already told you, kid, I want the jewel. What, did you forget?"

"Well you can't have it, leave me alone."

The man seemed startled by Souta's apparent lack of worry about the situation. "Aren't you afraid about dying over some stupid jewel?"

"I need the jewel, get your own. And stop calling me kid."

"Listen, kid, I am trying to get a jewel, and you are not making it any easier. Just hand it over."

"No, I need it. Leave me alone."

"I think the kid has figured out that you, Red, are a simpleton and an idiot."

Souta jumped at the voice coming from behind him. He whirled around to face the new threat. The woman behind him was beautiful. She had black hair tied back in a low ponytail also, her eyes were blue and she had ears on the top of her head. But Souta was staring at her face.

"Ms. Mika?"

"How did you know that Blue's name was Mika?" demanded the man, walking over to stand next to his partner.

"Easy, Red, this is one of my students. He must have recognized me." Responded the woman since Souta was still too surprised to speak.

"Ms. Mika," Souta began, "I didn't know you were a demon."

Mika shook her head, "no, Souta, it is Souta right." She received a nod and continued. "I am a half-demon, Red here is a full demon, but his real name is Taro. How do you know about demons?"

"My sister knows a half-demon, I've met him too." Souta replied.

"How did you get the jewel?" asked Red.

"Red, you idiot, this is Souta Higurashi, he lives at the shrine. We almost attacked one of the shrine protectors. Boss will never let us live this down. Don't worry Souta, we can't hurt you without getting into trouble." Mika sighed in annoyance, and then realized something. "Souta why do you need the jewel?"

"My sister is sick, I was going to wish for her to get better."

"Kagome? What happened to her?" asked Mika.

"She's been in a coma for the past two weeks, but the doctors say nothing is wrong with her. I saw a shadow attack her right before she fell..." Souta trailed off.

"This is bad, Blue," whispered Taro, "how could Kagome get hurt?"

"Souta," began Mika, "would you mind if we come with you to see your sister? The hospital is closed, so you would need us to take you to her window in order to get in."

"Alright," responded Souta, "but you promise not to hurt me or my sister, and you can't try to take the jewel?"

"Agreed," promised Mika and Taro.

Taro picked up Souta piggyback style and sprinted away towards the hospital with Mika beside them.

* * *

Souta began to get bored as the buildings flew by. "Hey, Taro, why do you and Ms. Mika have two names?" he asked.

"We work for a demon called the Boss. His job is to protect humans, so he sends us out on missions. He gives us nicknames so people won't know our real names and find out who we are. Mika is Blue and I am Red."

"So you are kind of like spies?"

"Something like that, but the Boss only gives us the easy missions, nothing dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"This mission was to find the jewel. All we had to do was follow the power of the jewel and watch to make sure no demons were around. That's how we knew the jewel was in your shrine and how we found you."

"All you had to do was stand outside and wait, sounds boring."

"That's what I thought too, so I convinced Mika that we needed to protect the jewel from any thieves. That way, if a thief came we could fight them."

"That would be awesome. Could I watch if it ever happened?"

"Boys," interrupted Mika, "no talk of fighting. We have arrived at the hospital. Souta, which room is your sister in?"

"The one on the fourth floor, in the corner."

"Which corner?"

"I don't know, but she has a view of a parking garage and a park."

"That would be, that room." Mika jumped up to the windowsill of Kagome's room, opened the window, and went inside.

"Hold on, Souta," cautioned Taro. "I am going to jump too."

Taro jumped and grabbed hold of the windowsill. Mika reached out, grabbed Souta and pulled him into the room. Taro swung up to join them. _I guess Grandpa's ofudas really don't work_ thought Souta. Cautiously the three walked over to the bed with Kagome. Souta pulled the jewel out of his pocket, closed is eyes, and wished "I wish my sister would wake up from her coma."

Souta opened his eyes; nothing had changed. Kagome was still asleep. "What was wrong?" asked Souta. "I thought the jewel could do it."

"So did I, kid," said Taro, "maybe the jewel can't heal."

"This no ordinary coma," whispered Mika, "this is the work of a spell. A very powerful spell that the jewel cannot break."

"You mean that shadow was a spell?" whispered Souta.

"Yes, and I do not know how to break it."

"What am I supposed to do now?" whined Souta, tears beginning to form, "I just want her back. What is so wrong with that?"

"Calm down, kid," reassured Taro, "crying is not going to help. But we know some people who might know the spell."

"What do you mean?" asked Souta.

"You are going to have to meet the Boss and plead your case. If he agrees, then he will give you permission to use every resource we have to break this spell." Mika explained.

_I have to meet the Boss._


	4. Chapter 4: The Boss

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 4: The Boss

"Let me get this straight," stuttered Souta, "you want me to convince a demon, with lots of demons at his disposal, to help me wake up Kagome?" He could only stare in shock at Mika and Taro as they nodded.

"No worries, kid," replied Taro, "we already told you its Boss' job to keep the demons in line and protect humans. Helping Kagome is part of the job."

"Taro is right, Souta," affirmed Mika, "Boss is very nice once you get used to his weird sense of humor."

"Where are we going to meet your boss?" Souta asked.

"The Boss works out of an office building downtown," Taro explained. "Hop on, I can tell you some background on the way." Souta climbed onto Taro's back; they and Mika jumped out of Kagome's window and began running.

Taro began the recitation. "During the feudal ages of Japan, humans began to become more numerous. Humans with high levels of spiritual power, priestesses and monks, started being born in record numbers. Humans began hunting demons with better success. This led to demon populations dropping, and humans gained superiority. Back then, a huge council of all the important demons was convened, and it was decided that demons should try and live with humans. This way, the killings would stop."

Mika continued. "All the demons still alive formed a community called the Underground, a society where demons can live in peace. Now, humans do not know that it exists, they think demons are just myths. We like to keep it that way, less attention. Demons still live in the world, passing as human using spells and charms. But the Underground is a place where a demon can be a demon. I recommend that you do only what we say while we are there, its very dangerous."

Taro nodded at her suggestion. "Boss is the head of what you could consider the only police force in the Underground, called the Officers. His job is to keep demons in line so they are not exposed; he also has to deal with any humans that find the Underground. I think the last one had a memory spell put on her; she remembered portions of it though, sold a book about it, great fiction story."

Mika shrugged and continued. "Anyways, be very polite to the Boss, remember he is doing you a favor. He just got this promotion and it would look bad if a girl remained cursed under his watch. Just do as we say and you will be fine, here we are."

* * *

Souta looked around, expecting to see a grand hideout. "It's just an office building, and it's closed for the night. Are you sure we are in the right neighborhood?"

"Yes, kid, we know what we are doing." Taro snapped. "We spies have secret tunnels that lead to the real headquarters. The secret tunnels are always hidden in innocent places." Taro led Souta through an alley to the back of the building. Mika walked to the back door and pushed a brick by the ground. "It has been enchanted to respond to certain people, only Officers can get in," she explained.

Souta watched as the concrete ground of the alley fell down to form stairs leading under the building. "Let's go," Mika said; she led Souta down the stairs and through a complicated set of tunnels. Souta looked behind him and realized Taro was no longer with them. Mika noticed his confused expression and explained, "Taro went to report in, he had to tell the on-duty secretary that he and I are here, and that we brought a guest. I am going to bring you to the Boss." Souta nodded in acceptance.

They continued through the hallways before Mika stopped at a door labeled 'Control'. She explained, "This is the Boss' main conference room. He shouldn't be in a meeting, so we can go in." Mika knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Soon, a petite woman opened the door and ushered them in.

Souta followed Mika into the conference room. She took a seat at the wide table; Souta followed her example. They did not have very long to wait. Loud yelling filled the hallway, Souta recognized one of the voices as belonging to Taro but he assumed the other belonged to the Boss. The door to the conference room opened; Taro walked in followed by another man.

"That's Boss," whispered Mika, "he is Taro's father and they do not get along very well."

Souta looked closer at the two men, they both had bright red hair, but Boss seemed only a few years older. "But they look almost the same age, how is that possible?" Souta asked in shock.

"Demons age slower, after twenty human years demons age one year every hundred years and half-demons age one year every fifty years. Boss is actually a few centuries older than Taro."

Boss interrupted, "If you are done discussing us, I believe Taro said something about this human boy needing our services."

"Yes, sir, uh, Mr. Boss." Souta replied nervously. "My sister was cursed and is now in a coma. Mika and Taro said you might be able to help."

Boss raised an eyebrow at the name, "You must understand, kid, that we only randomly help members of the Underground. Your family hardly qualifies as that, however, a curse does fall in out jurisdiction. We would be able to help you, but you would need to adequately prove that you would never reveal anything about the Underground or us to humans."

"Boss," Mika interjected, "if he joined our ranks he would be a member, and any contract would be binding. We do have a few human members."

"Very well," conceded Boss. "Kid, do you agree to sign a contract, you would never be able to say anything to even your family?"

"Yes, sir, if it would save my sister." Souta agreed.

Boss waved his hand above the center of the table, a thick stack of papers appeared. "This is your contract, kid. It says you become a member of the Officers. This means no talking about Officers or Underground business with people not members, you have to do everything the current Boss says, Officers will always help you to the extent of our resources, and you get a nickname. I'm thinking you would make a good Mouse. Just sign your name and your nickname right here."

Souta looked at Mika's smile and Taro's nod. He took a deep breath and carefully wrote his name and the word Mouse.

Boss started clapping, "I love getting new members, makes me remember my first days as a new member. Now we can get to your problem since you have signed over you soul..."

"What?" interrupted Souta. "Give me that contract, you never mentioned that."

"Kidding, kid. Lighten up, nobody took your soul." Boss responded. "It was just a joke."

Souta glanced over at Mika and saw her mouthing the words '_Warned you'_. "Sorry, Boss," he apologized, "I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"No worries," Boss waved his hand and the contract vanished. "Now then, Mouse, by the way, what is your real name?"

"Souta Higurashi, Boss."

The Boss froze, a look of terror on his face. "You mean your sister, Kagome, is in a coma?"

Taro was the one to respond. "Yes, Boss, that's why we thought you should know."

"Well that wasn't supposed to happen." Boss whispered.


	5. Chapter 5: The Registry

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 5: The Registry

Souta glanced at the Boss in confusion, "What wasn't supposed to happen?"

"Your sister was supposed to be safe." Boss explained in annoyance. "This is just great. I've had this job for only a month, and already a priestess has been attacked. The Boss is going to kill me."

"Aren't you the Boss?" asked Souta.

"That's right," exclaimed Boss happily, then his mood soured. "I guess that means the council will kill me." He looked at Souta's confused expression. "The council is made up of the ruling demons, if anything goes wrong I have to be the one to tell them. You try angering multiple powerful demons all at once." He paced around the room in anxiety. "Follow me, maybe we can fix this." Boss turned around and left the room. Souta, Mika, and Taro silently followed him down the hallway. Souta tried to look in rooms as they passed. One was a cafeteria, there were a few classrooms, and Souta was sure they passed a locker room. Boss stopped in front of a door marked 'Registry'; he pulled a key out of his pocket to unlock the door.

"If anyone besides the Boss did that, they would set off a whole bunch of alarms." Taro murmured to Souta.

"But what is in here that is so important?" Souta asked.

Boss answered, "This is the registry of every human with spiritual powers in the world. If an unsavory demon got this information, all these people could be hunted down easily."

The room was filled with file cabinets that went to the ceiling. Some cabinets were labeled with names and dates while others were blank. The room also contained many tables and chairs; some of the tables had computers on them.

"Why are we here?" questioned Souta again.

"Your sister's file is in here somewhere. We need to find it," answered Boss.

Mika walked over to a computer and began typing. Taro wandered to a blank cabinet and opened it. Souta and Boss walked up behind Taro and helped him carry papers from the cabinet to a nearby table.

Souta asked, "What is this?"

"This is part of Kagome's file," responded Taro. "The blank cabinets are temporary systems. They are enchanted to retrieve whatever file the person is thinking of. When we are finished, we can put the file back in and the cabinet returns it to the proper permanent cabinet. This cuts down on the amount of time spent looking for a file. We update the registry every few years."

Souta looked over the mound of papers covering three tables. "What are we looking for?"

"No idea," muttered Taro, "but Boss will know it when he sees it."

"Here we are," exclaimed Mika from the computer. "Forget paperwork, the database works faster. Kagome Higurashi, priestess from the future, and Guardian of the Sacred Jewel. Apparently, directly after defeating the half-demon Naraku, she returned home to her time. She did not return to feudal Japan when she was supposed to, and none of her friends could get through the well after her."

"How do you all know about the well?" asked Souta.

"The founders of this organization made sure to know everything about the monks and priestesses of the time, including Kagome." Boss replied absently. He leaned over to look at the computer screen. "Does it say why she could not return, or why they could not get through?"

"Kagome sealed the well right before she was attacked." Souta responded. "She did not want anyone to get her."

"The only person capable of unsealing the well is Kagome." Boss scowled. "The only way to do that is to wake her up. This is going to be difficult. What kind of spell put her in the coma?"

"A shadow reached out from the well-house, it hit her on the back of her head. She never saw it coming." Souta replied.

"Sounds like a binding spell. It enters a person when their back is turned to immobilize them." Boss commented. "I have to go and meet with the council about this. Mika, you ask Sakura about the details of the spell while Taro and Souta stay here to find someone to break it. Taro, clean this up as well. Good luck, Mouse, this is your first mission."

* * *

Souta looked around the Registry, he and Taro were the only people present, and they had a huge mountain of paperwork to put in the blank cabinet. Together they shoved piles of paper they never read into a container that could never fit them all. Once the compartment was full, Taro pushed it shut and opened it again. The cabinet was empty and ready for another load of papers. After shoving the entire file into the cabinet, Souta and Taro took a break.

"Taro, who is Sakura?"

"She is our resident priestess. Sakura knows all kinds of spells and curses. She has a little demon blood, so she has lived along time and learned a lot."

"Why can't she break the spell?"

"Binding spells require a human to exorcise it and banish it. Sakura may be mostly human, but she still has demon blood."

"How are we going to find a specific person capable of breaking the curse?"

"We write down a couple of specifications for the person, then put the paper in the blank cabinet. It picks the best candidate from everyone in the Registry within a few seconds. For example, we need someone with a lot of potential spiritual power; it would be best if it were someone who knew what was going on, so we don't have to waste time explaining about Kagome; someone nearby, so we don't have to transport them here; and someone brave enough to risk the exorcism."

"What do you mean, Taro?"

"If the spell is not properly banished, it can come back and infect the person who attacked it, that can be very dangerous."

Taro labeled a piece of paper 'Break spell on Kagome Higurashi'. The two wrote down the list of conditions and placed it in the cabinet. After a few minutes, Taro opened the cabinet. "It's empty, I don't think that's ever happened before."

"Is it still thinking, Taro?"

"It doesn't think, kid, it just picks."

They waited a few more minutes, and then opened it again. This time there was a piece of paper at the bottom of the cabinet. "Well, Souta, you do the honors. The best person to rescue your sister is..."

"Kagome Higurashi."

"What the," exclaimed Taro, grabbing the paper, "that can't be right. How is that even possible? The cabinet must have made a mistake. Let's try again."

The two rewrote the list and added 'Is not Kagome Higurashi' at the bottom. This time when they placed the paper in the cabinet it took three tries of opening it before a name appeared.

Taro held the paper and read the name, "Souta Higurashi".

Souta was holding his breath, but gasped as he heard his own name. "It must have made another mistake, I can't exorcise a shadow. I don't have any powers."

"Souta, you need to have spiritual powers to be in the Registry to begin with, you just need to train up a bit. Sakura can teach you everything you need to know. If you really want to, we can write another list and find another name."

Souta nodded, so they wrote the list for the third time this time they added 'Is not Souta Higurashi' at the bottom. The cabinet remained empty every time they opened it, for over half an hour, before the cabinet started to shake and blew up.

Taro started at the cabinet in shock. "That's definitely never happened before. Well, kid, I guess you are our only hope."


	6. Chapter 6: Sakura

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 6: Sakura

Mika strode quickly through the hallways in search of Sakura. "I hope Taro and Souta find someone soon. We need to fix this. Lets see, where would Sakura be now? It is still early morning, so she would be meditating." Mika suddenly stopped in front of a door and knocked. A small voice from inside greeted her and granted entrance. Mika stepped through the door and shut it behind her.

She walked into a large room almost empty of furniture. The only person in the room was kneeling on a mat in front of a small shrine. A lit candle burned in front of the figure. "Greetings, Sakura," Mika began, "I regret to interrupt your meditations, but a situation needing you has formed."

"And which of my services do you require?" asked Sakura, without turning around. "There are better healers, better priestesses, and I know you do not need me to fight."

"The Boss needs your knowledge, Sakura."

"So I am to be an encyclopedia again."

"Sakura, you are one of the oldest priestesses alive. You know more spells and curses than any other priestess alive."

"Those can be found in books and scrolls, Mika."

"Only if you know what to look for."

Sakura turned around to face Mika. "What do you mean?"

"A priestess was attacked two weeks ago and has been in a magical coma ever since. The Boss found out today."

"Mika, that's not possible. No curse could be performed without the priestess Officers being aware. Who was the victim?"

"The priestess attacked was Kagome Higurashi."

"How could that happen? Mika, you do need my knowledge, let's hope it is enough."

* * *

Souta stared at the remains of the cabinet in shock. "I have to break the spell?"

"Yes, kid." Taro replied. "Apparently the Registry finds you the only possible candidate. Now, I said earlier that Sakura could train you, so that means you have to meet her first. Let's go."

_I have to break the spell._ Souta remained staring at the broken cabinet. Taro sighed and pulled Souta out the door and down the hallway. He seemed to know where he was going, so Souta numbly followed. They passed many doors without stopping, but Taro walked to one and knocked. A voice from inside said to enter so Taro opened the door, pulled Souta inside, and shut the door behind them.

Mika looked up to see Taro and a dazed Souta enter the chamber. "Mouse," she called, "this is Sakura, our most knowledgeable priestess. Sakura, this is our newest recruit, Mouse, he was the one who alerted us to Kagome's situation."

Souta finally snapped out of his daze to respond. "You may call me Souta, I'm not used to having a codename yet." He smiled at the woman dressed in loose white robes, her long black hair flowing down her back.

Sakura smiled back and nodded. "Very well. Taro, Mika was telling me about the situation. It seems it may be a binding spell. You know a human must perform the ritual, have you found a candidate?"

Taro nodded. "The Registry seemed to have issues finding someone. Apparently, kid here is the one. The cabinet even blew up trying to find a second choice."

"That certainly is unprecedented." Sakura replied. "It seems Souta is the only possible choice. How much training have you had, Souta?"

"None."

Sakura seemed startled by this. "The Registry does not usually choose untrained personnel. It usually does not even consider them. Why are you so special, Souta?"

"Kagome is my sister."

Mika nodded. "It does make sense for a family member to try harder than a stranger."

Sakura seemed satisfied. "Yes, Souta is the best choice. But first we need to know what happened. Taro, you and Mika go to the well house and try to find any remnants of the spell. Perhaps it left a clue to its caster there. But do not let anyone see you." Mika and Taro left the room, leaving Souta alone with the priestess.

* * *

Sakura continued. "Now then, Souta, while they are gone, you are going to learn how to release your spiritual energy. We need to know your capabilities." She gestured at the candle beside her. "I want you to stare at this candle. Empty your mind of every thought, every emotion; the only things that exist are the flame and my voice. Picture the flame growing, it is becoming hotter and more out of control. The candle is being burned away and the flames will spread around the room unless you stop it. You need to put out the flames by surrounding them with yourself, cut off its oxygen with your energy."

Souta stared at the candle, the little flame began to grow in size until fire began licking at the ceiling and walls. He reached out to touch the blaze, but as soon as his hand met the fire, it was extinguished.

Souta woke from his trance to find the fire gone, the unburned room full of smoke, and the candle a melted heap of wax on the floor. "Oops," he turned to Sakura sheepishly, "sorry about that."

"No apology needed, Souta." Sakura replied serenely, "You had the blaze under control, if a bit larger than necessary."

"What happened in here?" Taro called from the doorway. "We weren't gone for that long. Why all the smoke?"

"It seems young Mouse has an affinity for fire, and a large energy potential. He could probably banish any binding spell as needed." Sakura replied; she waved her hand and all the smoke disappeared. "What did you find at the shrine?"

Mika answered, "There was a voice calling on the wind. It was not a human or demon voice, more like a combination of whispers. It called out to us proudly and recited the spell."

_Spirits across time and space_

_Seal me in an empty place_

_Waiting for the perfect time_

_To wreak vengeance that is mine_

A shiver went through Souta at the words; he asked, "What does that mean?"

Sakura looked startled by the wording of the spell, but answered. "Your sister and her friends made many enemies. The powerful demons they angered wished revenge upon her, for she was the one holding the group together. But she could not be attacked physically, due to her many companions, and she was very in touch with her thoughts and emotions; this means any mental attacks would not succeed. Not to mention the fact that Kagome was a powerful priestess in her own right. This spell was the product of every jealous thought, every urge for vengeance on the untouchable priestess. All these evil intentions banded together and waited to attack your sister when she was without the support of her friends. And it has succeeded, unless you stop it."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

Sakura looked around the room, gauging what needed to be done. "Mika, Taro, go update Boss. The council needs to know about these revelations. Souta, follow exactly what I say and you will be able to help Kagome."

Sakura began her lesson. "A binding spell is not very powerful on its own; it needs to stay in its host. Once you exorcise it from Kagome you will have to banish it to another plane of existence. Both spells are simple incantations, but require a great deal of energy. The binding spell will not leave Kagome or this plane willingly, so be careful, Souta. In order to remove the spell from Kagome, you need something of hers, a personal possession that carries some of her power."

Souta reached into his pocket and pulled out the Jewel. "Will this work?"

Sakura glanced at the Jewel then looked at Souta in shock. "Goodness, you walked into a demon lair carrying the Sacred Jewel. Does the Boss know about this?"

"I may have forgotten to mention it to him, but Mika and Taro know. That's how they found me."

"They are going to be in trouble when the Boss finds out. He does not like surprises. And yes, the Sacred Jewel will work to restore Kagome. That may be the most appropriate choice. Back to my instructions, after exorcising the binding spell, it will lash out and try to take back its host or a new one. You need to know a shield to protect yourself and Kagome. Do not worry, that is one of the easiest spells to form. Once the binding spell is out in the open, with no chance of escape, you recite a few lines and this nightmare is over."

Souta took in the information. "That's all? It seems a little too easy."

"Souta, the hardest part is that you need to do this on your own. If anyone is with you, they become another possible host. In addition, this exorcism should be performed at the site where Kagome was struck down. That means at the well house, and any demons in the shrine will alert your family. Mika, Taro, and I can only watch from across the street."

Souta froze at all the possible ways it could go wrong. "I do not want to do this alone. What if something happens?"

"Relax, Souta, you will do nothing wrong. Only you can do this; if something does happen, you can try again. Now then, let me teach you all the spells needed so you can practice."


	7. Chapter 7: The Exorcism

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 7: The Exorcism

Souta sat in the middle of a training room. The walls were decorated with swords and other weapons, but Souta simply continued to meditate in silence. At least, he appeared to be meditating. _I can't believe it has already been two weeks. Two weeks ago Sakura started training me to help Kagome. Two weeks ago I was normal, now I am a normal preteen turned Officer for the demon Underground._

Souta was unaware that he had garnered an audience. Mika watched from the doorway while Taro looked over her shoulder. "Isn't he supposed to be moving?" he asked.

Souta was startled back to consciousness when he heard the question. "I'm meditating, Taro." Souta replied. "It calms my mind and focuses my energy so I can create barriers."

"Well then, kid, let's see what your barrier can do." Taro challenged. "No weapons, only energy attacks while you defend."

Souta stood and nodded. His face was a determined mask. "Don't assume I will go easy on you because I am only a kid, Taro."

Taro smirked and began. Souta made the first move by chanting to form a barrier between him and the demon. Taro tried to kick and punch through it, but ended up rebounding to land several feet away. Instead, Taro resorted to forming fireballs to throw at the barrier. After five direct hits, the shield dispersed in a shimmer of light. Taro assumed the fight was over, so he only threw one more shot at Souta as a sign of victory before turning his back.

He saw Mika frantically pointing behind him. Taro assumed the worst, that he accidentally hurt Souta, and turned to face his opponent. Souta simply stood there holding Taro's fireball in one hand. "You dropped this." Souta replied casually, before clenching his fist to diffuse the fireball.

Taro stared in shock at the ten year old that managed to counteract his demon magic. "How the..." he stammered out. "That's not possible."

Souta grinned, "Sakura says I have an affinity for fire. It's supposed to be really rare and powerful. Good thing you guys made me join the Officers to get training."

Taro dumbly nodded, but Mika seemed to have gotten her voice back. "Souta, elemental affinities are beyond rare. You're probably the first in this century. I guess it makes sense what with your sister being so powerful. But how could the Registry have missed this? We really need to update that."

Taro appeared to have recovered enough to speak. "So what can you do with that special power?"

"I can't conjure fire or anything like you can, that means no throwing fireballs. But I can put out fires, and catch a fireball if it is aimed at me."

Boss appeared in time to hear the last part of Souta's statement. "So you are sharing your secret affinity. I would recommend not doing too much of that. Demons don't like powerful humans and you definitely qualify as one of them. Some of the more vicious would try and exterminate you. Now, Souta, how has your training been?"

"All right I guess. Sakura taught me how to do the barrier spell. It held up to five of Taro's fireballs without reinforcement. She also taught me the couplets to exorcise and banish the binding spell."

Boss nodded in acceptance. "Very remarkable for only a few weeks training. Very good idea to have you join the Officers. It seems you are ready to tackle your first field operation, exorcising that binding spell from Kagome. Mika, Taro, go to the shrine and prepare the scene. Souta, you need to convince your family to release Kagome from the hospital and bring her to the well house. But remember not to mention anything too specific."

Mika and Taro nodded quickly and left the room. The Boss turned to Souta. "I need to explain a few more things to you before we leave. I'm afraid I did not tell you all the background about your sister. Kagome's file mentions disappearing from Feudal Japan for a month after defeating Naraku."

"Yeah, Boss, you already mentioned that when we were in the Registry, that was when she was in the coma."

"What I didn't say is that after that she never left Feudal Japan again. The well resealed itself, but this time it wasn't a spell, the magic went away."

"What?"

"Kagome has to wake up, because she already has. She already lived this whole time in the past. We can't change the past, everything has to happen the same way."

"But that means I will never see her again. Why are you telling me this? Aren't you worried I might say something to keep her here?"

"Souta, I want you to have a chance to say goodbye. Kagome doesn't know she has been in a coma, leaving now would be like leaving after being home for a day. It would be less traumatizing for her. I know you can understand how important Kagome is to the past, she is needed there."

Souta nodded, his eyes filling with tears that refused to fall. "Let's go, Boss, Mama won't do anything unless I am there to explain. But you have to show my family what is in her file once she is gone."

"I will find some way to tell you what happened. You and your family deserve to know."

* * *

Souta took a deep breath before opening the door to his home. _No big deal, just walk up to Mama and say "You know how Kagome is in a coma, well, it's a magical one caused by a spell. These past few weeks I have been training at night with a bunch of modern demons to break the spell. Tonight we are going to do it; the only problem is that Kagome has to be here for it to work. So I need you to check her out of the hospital and bring her home. Oh, and she will never return." Right, that is going to work real well, and the Boss said not to mention anything pertaining to the Underground, Officers, or demons in general. Why me?_

"Mama?" Souta called into the house. "Mama, I have an idea about Kagome."

"What is it, dear?" asked Mrs. Higurashi walking out of the kitchen. "It is almost time for dinner."

Souta began his carefully concocted tale. "Well, the doctors say Kagome isn't changing at the hospital, so why don't we bring her home. She would probably be more comfortable here and then the hospital bills will go down." Souta held his breath as she considered the idea.

"I think that is a great idea, honey, but Grandpa and I moved her home last night. You were already in bed, so we decided to tell you today, but you left this morning very quickly."

Souta gaped at his mother. "You mean she's here, upstairs?"

"Yes, sweetie, since last night."

"Thanks, Mama, you just made my night a lot easier. Will you hold dinner, I want to try something?"

* * *

Souta grumbled as he and Grandpa struggled to carry Kagome across the yard to the well house. _Why does she have to eat so much?_ Souta looked over his shoulder to the building across the street and could faintly make out four figures on the roof. _Mika, Taro, Sakura, and Boss, here to watch._ "Thanks for the help, Grandpa, you and Mama should wait inside. I just want to say a few words and we can bring her back in, I don't want you to catch a cold. Mama could probably use your help in the kitchen anyways."

"I still don't see why we had to dress her up and drag her out here, you could have said your piece in her bedroom." Grandpa muttered under his breath, but nodded and left.

Souta waited to be sure his family was inside the house before starting the ceremony. First he chanted to bring up the barrier spell around himself then reached into his pocket for the Jewel. Souta began to whisper couplets to exorcise the spell. Wind began to blow around the courtyard, and he could hear the evil voices calling for the spell. Souta concentrated harder and grasped the Jewel, it flashed and the wind died. Souta opened his eyes to see the shadow in front of him. It seemed surprised to see him.

"Little one could not have broken spell, little one will not finish sealing spell. Little one will perish," the voices whispered to Souta, urging him to give up.

He resisted the voices calling and chanted to reinforce his barrier to include Kagome then started banishing the binding spell. The shadow tried to enter her, but failed; it reached for him, but before it could even try it was gone. There was no trace of it left except a memory of its presence.

Souta released the breath he was holding and brought down the barrier spell. Kagome began to stir beside him. _That was fast_. She tried to sit up but Souta restrained her.

"Kagome, calm down, you were hit pretty hard."

Kagome looked around in confusion. "Hit? Hit by what?"

"There were these kinds on the street throwing rocks at buildings. I guess one of them bounced off and hit you in the head. I tried to warn you, but it came too fast for you to react." _I hope she buys that._

"What? How long have I been out? It's night already. Where are Mama and Grandpa?"

"Kagome, calm down. You only out for a few hours. Mama and Grandpa are inside cooking dinner."

"A few hours! And you left me here on the ground for a few hours!"

_Um, need a new topic._ "Mama said not to move you, and the hospital said to wait. All the ambulances are responding to other emergencies. Anyways, can you show me that thing you did with the well again? I never get to see any magic."

"Uh, okay, but don't think you are off the hook for leaving me in the dirt." Kagome brushed off her clothes and walked to the well house. She gathered her energy and chanted to release the well. "There are you happy, now can we go inside, I'm freezing and starving."

They started to walk back inside but Kagome suddenly stopped and whirled to face the angry half-demon that had emerged from the well seconds before.

"Oi, wench, and where do you think you are going?"

"Inuyasha, I am going inside to eat with my family as I planned to."

"No you're not, you promised you would be back in two days. It's been over a month. You are coming with me." Inuyasha began trying to drag Kagome back to the well.

"Inuyasha, I just got back a few hours ago, and most of it was spent lying on the ground. I want to see my family. It's not my fault the well decided to speed up time on your end."

Souta could see Kagome and Inuyasha were about to get into a full-blown argument, and Kagome always won those by using the beads. He decided to interfere to ensure Kagome went back. "Kagome, your friends must have really missed you in the past. Why don't you go back tonight for a visit. You can see us tomorrow night."

Kagome paused mid insult to stare at Souta. "But what about Mama and Grandpa?"

"I can explain everything, but here, you will need your Jewel back. You dropped it when you fell. And I moved your backpack upstairs, you can get that tomorrow too."

Kagome moved forward to claim the Jewel. She felt something wasn't right, but her friends did need her. "Alright, Souta, tell Mama and Grandpa, and I will see you all tomorrow."

She walked with Inuyasha to the well and gave one last look over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Kagome." Souta called with tears in his eyes. Kagome heard the farewell but did not notice the tears as she jumped into the well.

_Goodbye._


	8. Chapter 8: Kagome

_Disclaimer:_ No, I do not own anything related to Inuyasha. I just watch the anime. The characters of Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter 8: Kagome

Souta trudged wearily away from the now empty well house. _It's over; it's finally over. Kagome has gone to the past and will never return. Great, what will Mama and Grandpa say when they find out. Boss had better have a good reason behind doing all this._ Souta's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his spectators.

"Nice job, Mouse." Taro commented. "Your first field mission, and it went without a hitch."

"That was an excellent display." Sakura observed. "Your spells were performed perfectly and you only had a few weeks to practice. You will do well as an Officer."

The Boss nodded. "I can agree to that. Now then, Mouse, if you will allow us to escort you and your family back to headquarters, I believe we have some explanations to give to everyone."

"You can say that again." Said a voice behind them. Souta froze at the comment. He tried to respond. "Mama, it really is a funny story."

Mrs. Higurashi stood in the middle of the yard glaring at Souta. "Young man, I would like to know where your sister is, who these people are, and why they are here. You had better start talking."

Souta inwardly twitched at her commanding tone, unable to respond her questions. Boss looked at the gathered people with a heavy heart before he decided it was in his best interests to take charge. Boss nervously replied. "Mrs. Higurashi, we are representatives of an secret organization that monitors demons. Your daughter, Kagome, was important to one of our projects, so when Souta approached us for help we offered it."

Mrs. Higurashi suddenly brightened. "So you must be Officers, then, and you sent her back to the past. Thank you for all your help."

Boss started at her reply. "How do you know about everything?"

"Demons have been guarding this shrine for almost twenty years. When Kagome was born, her spirit powers needed to be personally supervised. One of the Officers explained everything. Grandpa and I have been members ever since. Now Grandpa assumes everyone that comes in the shrine is a demon." Mrs. Higurashi calmly responded. "Would you all like to come inside? Dinner is about to be served. We can go to headquarters afterwards."

She turned to reenter the house followed by her guests. Boss muttered, "Why don't people tell me these things?" as he entered.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi led the group to the dining room to be seated. Grandpa was napping, but Souta woke him for the meal. Mrs. Higurashi served everyone from the kitchen. After dinner, Boss called for a car to pick up the Higurashi family. They passed the car ride in silence. Grandpa was amazed by the many demons, but Mrs. Higurashi seemed unaffected. Boss led the way to an empty conference room to begin the story. 

Boss began. "Mrs. Higurashi, my name is Boss, and I am the leader of the Officers. Souta told us about Kagome's condition, and we were concerned about possible impacts in the past if she did not return. We have a file on everything Kagome did in the past, and it mentioned returning after a month's absence."

Sakura continued. "Kagome had to awaken from her spell, because if not, everything she did in the past would never have happened. History would have been rewritten, if the world did not end or the universe implode."

Souta interrupted. "Mama, Kagome's file says she never came back home. The well sealed her there. She's already lived her life."

Mrs. Higurashi looked stricken by news. "My poor baby. She's stuck in the past. She died before being born." The Higurashi family broke down in grief.

* * *

Boss gazed at his weeping audience. "Souta made me a deal that I had to tell all of you her life story in exchange for his assistance. I have arranged for someone to come to tell you about Kagome's life; she and her husband were on their honeymoon, but my messenger said they would come." 

Mika looked horrified by this arrangement. "Boss, please tell me you didn't call them. Dad promised bodily harm to anyone that interrupted them."

Souta looked up from his tears. "Your dad, but I thought it was a honeymoon."

Mika nodded numbly. "Every fifty years my parents go on a honeymoon for a year. It's their vacation away from everything. Goodbye, Boss, I hope you made arrangements for your affairs."

"Now, Mika," Sakura cautioned, "Dad hasn't killed anyone in years without provocation. Boss could get away with only a slight maiming." At Souta's confused look she added, "Mika and I are sisters, although she is much younger than me."

A sudden crash outside in the hallway drew attention from the petrified Boss and the revelation about Mika and Sakura. Several curses could be heard and an argument.

"I just want to take one of his legs, this was our time and he screwed it up. I knew you should have left the Officers to Sakura. She may not have the people skills, but she's got a much better head than that brat." A male voice started.

"No, you have to promise not to hurt him. For all we know this was supposed to happen. All he wants is for us to explain a few things, and then we can go back. Ten minute visit tops." His wife answered.

Souta glanced at his companions, Mika and Sakura looked embarrassed while Boss tried to look calm. Souta's attention was drawn to the door when it opened to reveal the experts.

* * *

There in the doorway stood Kagome. A slightly older, more mature Kagome, right down to the… 

"Your ears." Mrs. Higurashi squealed. "They look so cute. When did you get dog ears?"

"Three years after the well sealed. The Jewel decided I could protect it better as a half-demon." Kagome replied, barely holding in her enthusiasm. "Let me help you with the luggage, Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha," Souta stammered. "You married Inuyasha." He looked at Mika and Sakura. "And you have kids. I need to sit down, wait I am sitting down."

Mrs. Higurashi looked at the graying Sakura and back to Kagome. "How is she your daughter?"

Kagome sighed, as if she explains this regularly. "Sakura was born two years after the well sealed, I was still human so she is only one-fourth demon. She ages one year every twenty-five years after her twentieth birthday. That was five hundred years ago, so she looks about forty. I became a half-demon on my twentieth birthday, five hundred years ago. I age one year every fifty years after my twentieth birthday, so I look about thirty, so does Inuyasha. Mika was born about three hundred years ago; I was a half-demon then, so she is too. Mika ages like a half-demon, so she looks about twenty-six."

"Now that we all know that pointless piece of information, may I please attack the runt?" Inuyasha threatened taking steps towards the scared Boss.

"No." Kagome insisted. "Shippo did what he had to do. What did happen?"

"Shippo?" Souta turned to Boss. "Shippo as in the little fox-demon that used to follow Kagome around?"

"Yes, my real name is Shippo." Boss muttered. "I'm five hundred years old, the leader of the Officers, and a respect demon, but people still think of me as only that pipsqueak."

"You will always be an annoying pipsqueak, and I'm still waiting to find out what is going on." Inuyasha commented.

Souta replied. "A month ago Kagome was attacked by a binding spell. She went into a coma. I joined the Officers to wake her up. Kagome just went back to the past. But I told her nothing had happened."

Kagome looked faint. "I remember that. You said it had only been a few hours, but Inuyasha dragged me back before I could say goodbye to Mama and Grandpa."

Shippo nodded. "So that's why it wasn't in your file. You didn't know what happened. Well, everything seems to be in order here, I'll just go back to my office."

"Hold on a minute, brat." Inuyasha growled. "Kagome mourned for a year because her family was gone. It wasn't until two years later that she got the ability to see them again. You still have some explaining to do."

Shippo grinned. "But everything is fine now. Souta performed the spells needed. Kagome went back to be with you and start the Underground. Your kids were born. Now she can catch up with everyone."

Souta started at that comment. "You had to go back because you started the Underground?"

Kagome replied. "Yes, five hundred years ago Inuyasha and I founded the Underground with a group of other demons. Shippo, did you just say Souta was the one to break the spell? But he doesn't have any spiritual powers."

Taro shook his head. "No, the Registry picked you first, I guess it thought you could wake up your past self, but then it picked Souta. Sakura even swears he learned quickly."

Sakura nodded. "He learned all the necessary spells in two weeks, including practice. Now that he has completed his first field mission, Souta is the youngest Officer in history."

Mrs. Higurashi seemed proud by that announcement, Grandpa had still not gotten over Kagome's ears, and Souta blushed under the gaze of his grown sister.

"Now that everyone in your family is aware of the Underground," began Shippo, "I am informing you that the Higurashi Shrine is now under Officers jurisdiction. If we ever need any of your services, you will be notified. Now I really do need to get back to my office. Taro, let's leave the family alone to catch up."

Shippo and Taro left the family so Kagome could reminisce with her family, introduce her husband and children, and catch them up on her life story.

"This was a happy ending for her, wasn't it?" Taro asked as they walked through the hallways. "I mean now Kagome is with her family again."

Shippo nodded. "Yes, but she also has another family to introduce them to. She has been busy for the last five centuries. Now, we better run before Inuyasha realizes we are out of maiming range."


	9. Author's note

This is the end of _Help Me._

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed; it was my first fanfiction, always nice to be appreciated.

I am still working on a plot outline for a sequel. More Souta and the Officers, this time on a mission in the past with Kagome. Hopefully my writing will improve and make it less painful to read.

For future reference, the names I used, not from the anime, I randomly found in other people's fanfiction; I have no idea from where I picked them up, so I have no idea to whom to give credit.

Anyways, the sequel, _Serve Me_, should be coming soon.


End file.
